Written Answers Monday 24 November 2008

Scottish Executive

Blood Transfusion Service

Patrick Harvie (Glasgow) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what dialogue it has had with the HIV Blood Transfusion Group on the development of terms of reference for a public inquiry into contaminated blood and blood products.

Nicola Sturgeon: I have met twice with representatives of the Scottish Haemophilia Forum about the public inquiry into hepatitis C and HIV infection from NHS treatment with blood and blood products. The Scottish Government has not had a direct meeting with the HIV Blood Transfusion Group.

Crime

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what priority the police and prosecuting authorities give to tackling (a) fraud and (b) identity theft.

Kenny MacAskill: It is an operational matter for the police and Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to determine the priority they attach to investigating and prosecuting fraud, which includes identity theft.

Crime

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to review the law relating to protection of an individual’s identity.

Kenny MacAskill: A report on serious fraud was published on 13 May 2008 by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMICS). The report made a number of recommendations aimed at improving how the police work with their partners to tackle serious fraud, which can include cases of identity theft.

  One of the report’s recommendations was that "the Scottish Government consult with stakeholders, including the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS), to make certain that legislation, process and interventions relating to fraud in Scotland are no less comprehensive or robust than they are elsewhere in the UK".

  An ACPOS-led Working Group, which will include representatives of the Scottish Government, is being established to take forward all of the report’s recommendations.

Dentistry

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dental patients have been waiting for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant in NHS Tayside, in each quarter since October 2007, broken down by consultant speciality.

Nicola Sturgeon: The number of dental patients who have waited for a new outpatient appointment with a consultant in NHS Tayside in each quarter since 1 October 2007 is shown in table 1 and table 2. table 2 is based on New Ways of Defining and Measuring Waiting Times which was introduced on 1 January 2008.

  Table 1: Number of Dental Patients Waiting for a First Out-Patient Appointment with a Consultant in NHS Tayside, following Referral by a General Medical or Dental Practitioner. Quarter end date 31 December 2007, by Consultant Specialty

  

 Quarter Ending
 Specialty
 Number of Patients Waiting


 31 December 2007
 Oral Medicine
 166


 Oral Surgery
 420


 Orthodontics
 95


 Paediatric Dentistry
 38


 Restorative Dentistry
 410



  Source: Outpatient Waiting List (OPWL), ISD Scotland.

  Table 2: Number of Dental Patients Waiting for a First Out-Patient Appointment with a Consultant in NHS Tayside, following Referral by a General Medical or Dental Practitioner. Quarter end dates between 31 March, 30 June and 30 September 2008, by Consultant Specialty

  

 Quarter Ending
 Specialty
 Number of Patients Waiting


 31 March 2008
 Oral Medicine
 166


 Oral Surgery
 534


 Orthodontics
 98


 Paediatric Dentistry
 86


 Restorative Dentistry
 434


 30 June 2008
 Oral Medicine
 183


 Oral Surgery
 601


 Orthodontics
 87


 Paediatric Dentistry
 118


 Restorative Dentistry
 486


 30 September 2008
 Oral Medicine
 199


 Oral Surgery
 734


 Orthodontics
 98


 Paediatric Dentistry
 107


 Restorative Dentistry
 474



  Source: New Ways Waiting Times Data Warehouse, ISD Scotland.

Dentistry

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it can offer to the people in Dolphinton who cannot obtain NHS dental treatment.

Nicola Sturgeon: The responsibility for the overall provision of NHS general dental services in the area rests with NHS Lanarkshire. Any patients wishing information on NHS dental services can contact NHS Lanarkshire’s dental Helpline on 08453 130 130.

Dentistry

Jim Hume (South of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken in partnership with NHS Lanarkshire to improve NHS dentist provision in Dolphinton.

Nicola Sturgeon: Responsibility for the overall provision of NHS general dental services in the area rests with NHS Lanarkshire. NHS Lanarkshire is aware that there are problems with access to NHS dental services in the area and the board has been working with dental practitioners to try and increase provision.

  NHS Lanarkshire has provisionally been allocated £6.47 million of the £75 million being invested in Scotland under the Primary and Community Care Modernisation Programme over the two years 2009-10 and 2010-11. A priority for the funding is the development of new dental centres for independent general dental practitioners working in the NHS.

  The Scottish Government has introduced a number of financial measures to improve access to NHS dental services, including grants under the Scottish Dental Access Initiative for dentists wishing to establish new or expand existing NHS dental practices.

  NHS boards have also been given the authority to appoint salaried dentists where this is the best solution to meet local needs.

Domestic Abuse

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to address the findings of the report, Scottish Women’s Aid analysis of local authority Single Outcome Agreements 2008, in relation to domestic abuse and violence against women.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to address the finding of the report, Scottish Women’s Aid analysis of local authority Single Outcome Agreements 2008, that nine local authorities had no reference to domestic abuse in their single outcome agreements.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to address the finding of the report, Scottish Women’s Aid analysis of local authority Single Outcome Agreements 2008, that only seven local authorities made a specific reference to reducing domestic abuse or violence against women as a local outcome.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to address the conclusion of the report, Scottish Women’s Aid analysis of local authority Single Outcome Agreements 2008, that most of the single outcome agreements had no outcome against which to measure performance.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to address the conclusions of the report, Scottish Women’s Aid analysis of local authority Single Outcome Agreements 2008, including that 21 local authorities made no specific commitment to addressing domestic abuse with their local partnerships.

Stewart Maxwell: As Scottish Women’s Aid themselves state, the single outcome agreements (SOAs) are new for both national and local government and this is a process still in development. The next stage of SOA development will ensure the full involvement of community planning partners, which should in turn assist with the engagement of violence against women multi-agency partnerships in the process of identifying local priorities.

  Public bodies are subject to the requirements of the public sector equality duties set out in equalities legislation. It is expected therefore that councils will equality impact assess their policies and activities and have due regard to the promotion of equality and elimination of discrimination in developing SOAs and their priorities.

  The SOA document does not describe everything that is being undertaken by the council and community planning partners.

Enterprise

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been employed in the software industry in each of the last 10 years.

Fiona Hyslop: Information on the number of employee jobs by industry is collected each year from the Annual Business Inquiry (ABI), which is the official source of employee jobs data. Table 1 shows the number of employee jobs in the software industry. The most recent year for which data is available is 2006. The ABI does not include self-employed jobs.

  This data is based on employee jobs rather than the number of people in employment (as one person may have more than one job). It does not include self-employed jobs.

  Table 1: Employee Jobs in the Software Industry in Scotland, 1997 to 2006

  

 Year
 Number


 1997
 8,900


 1998
 10,100


 1999
 10,800


 2000
 16,700


 2001
 17,500


 2002
 16,700


 2003
 16,100


 2004
 19,600


 2005
 17,900


 2006
 16,300



  Source: Annual Business Inquiry 1998 to 2006, Annual Employment Survey 1997.

  Notes:

  1. Data for 1997 and 2006 are not consistent with other years. The data for 1997 was sourced from an earlier survey than the ABI and the reference date for the ABI was changed in 2006.

  2. Data are rounded to the nearest hundred.

Firearms

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many firearms-related offences involved (a) shotguns, (b) handguns, (c) rifles and (d) airguns in each local authority area in the Lothians region in each of the last five years.

Kenny MacAskill: Number of crimes and offences recorded by the police in which a firearm was alleged to have been used, by main firearm used, Scotland 2007-08:

  

 Local Authority
 Main Firearm Type
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 East Lothian
 Shotgun
 0
 0
 1
 0
 0


 East Lothian
 Pistol/Revolver
 0
 1
 1
 0
 0


 East Lothian
 Rifle
 0
 0
 0
 1
 0


 East Lothian
 Air weapon
 11
 24
 20
 18
 24


 Edinburgh City
 Shotgun
 1
 2
 6
 9
 3


 Edinburgh City
 Pistol/Revolver
 4
 5
 7
 5
 1


 Edinburgh City
 Rifle
 0
 0
 0
 1
 0


 Edinburgh City
 Air weapon
 151
 147
 132
 98
 67


 Midlothian
 Shotgun
 1
 0
 0
 2
 0


 Midlothian
 Pistol/Revolver
 1
 1
 0
 0
 1


 Midlothian
 Rifle
 0
 3
 0
 0
 0


 Midlothian
 Air weapon
 21
 43
 24
 20
 13


 West Lothian
 Shotgun
 2
 1
 2
 0
 0


 West Lothian
 Pistol/Revolver
 0
 0
 3
 0
 1


 West Lothian
 Rifle
 0
 0
 1
 0
 0


 West Lothian
 Air weapon
 45
 74
 48
 31
 26

Football

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether discussions have been held with the football governing bodies about the declining numbers attending football matches, particularly away matches.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government has not formally discussed the issue of attendance at football matches with any of the football authorities.

Further and Higher Education

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring arrangements are in place to ensure that disabled students in further and higher education who want a personal learning plan have one.

Fiona Hyslop: Colleges receive block grants for teaching which are not split into funding for specific courses or assistance. For that block grant they are expected to deliver a set level of activity which is weighted to reflect the resource input required. Courses which are specifically designed for students with additional needs have the highest out of 18 weightings. In addition to this, activity for students who are not on a specialised course but who have additional support needs is also weighted to reflect the additional resource input. In 2008-09, the main teaching allocation totalled £392 million.

  It is a condition of grant that any colleges claiming the additional weights that are allocated from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) must complete a Personal Learning Support Plan (PLSP). This is checked and reported on through the SFC’s audit process. The auditor also signs off the final claims for activity. The allocation of student support funds must meet the conditions of the SFC bursary policy and the use of the funds is audited.

General Practitioners

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many GP practices in the Monklands area do not participate in the extended hours scheme.

Nicola Sturgeon: Six of the 11 GP practices in Airdrie, which cover the Monklands district, are not contractually signed up to provide extended opening hours.

General Practitioners

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many GP practices in the Monklands area participate in the extended hours scheme and what the associated costs are.

Nicola Sturgeon: Five of the 11 GP practices in Airdrie, which cover the Monklands district, are contractually signed up to provide extended opening hours. The total annual payment to these practices for the provision of extended opening hours is £94,562.

General Practitioners

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of a substantial reduction in undergraduate medical teaching in dermatology, what steps it is taking to ensure that GPs are adequately trained to diagnose and manage dermatological conditions.

Nicola Sturgeon: We are not aware of any reduction in undergraduate medical teaching in dermatology, and this view is borne out by NHS Education for Scotland and the British Association of Dermatologists.

  The introduction of Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) has provided the opportunity to develop a new and better approach to GP training. All doctors entering GP Specialist Training from 2007 have already completed a two year medical foundation training programme, and the UK Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) approved curriculum for GP Specialist Training, which doctors in training are assessed against, has a full section covering relevant issues for dermatology.

Health

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many and which pilot dermatology services established in the period 2004-06 were (a) continued, (b) abandoned and (c) proposed for mainstreaming.

Shona Robison: We do not hold information about every NHS board’s funding decisions following completion of a centrally funded programme during this time. However we do know that eleven out of 15 NHS boards were given time limited funding for clinical leadership and project management to test new models of service to deliver and sustain the waiting time target that by December 2005 no patient should wait longer than 26 weeks for a first out-patient appointment. This target was delivered and has been further reduced to 18 weeks from December 2007. It is for NHS boards to evaluate the success of their pilots and to mainstream the findings if they think appropriate. As at the closure of the Skin Action Scotland national programme (Dermatology) in March 2006, seven of the 11 had secured funding for 2006-07 of which five reported that this funding was recurring. £270 million, £90 million per year, has been made available nationally to improve waiting times during the period 2008-09 to 2010-11.

Lifelong Learning

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when Skills Development Scotland will be in a position to confirm further details of its commitment to dispersing work to its centre on the Isle of Benbecula and to ensure that this operation grows and develops.

Fiona Hyslop: Decisions about the dispersal of work to Benbecula are an operational matter for Skills Development Scotland (SDS). However, I understand that they have no plans to reduce current staffing at the centre and indeed are looking to further develop its use as part of their operating plan for 2009-10. I also understand that this information has been conveyed to SDS staff there.

Ministerial Correspondence

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its performance was in answering ministerial correspondence in the third quarter of 2008.

Bruce Crawford: In the quarter July to September 2008, 9,941 letters were received by ministers and 95% received a reply within our target of 20 working days.

NHS Finance

Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average weekly cost is of maintaining a patient in a high-dependency hospital bed.

Nicola Sturgeon: The average weekly cost of treating a patient in a high-dependency bed in financial year 2006-07 was £4,563.

  Source: Scottish Health Service Costs, ISD Scotland.

National Conversation

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it proposes to report to the Parliament on the outcome of the National Conversation.

Nicola Sturgeon: The National Conversation is intended to give the people of Scotland the opportunity to debate, reflect and then decide on Scotland’s future in a referendum to be held in 2010. Parliament will be responsible for debating and agreeing the necessary legislation in advance of the referendum.

Organ Donation

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to receive the report of the Organ Donation Taskforce, chaired by Elizabeth Buggins, in relation to changing the presumption on organ donation.

Shona Robison: The UK Organ Donation Taskforce published its second report, looking at the impact on organ donation in the UK of a switch to a system of opting out, on Monday 17 November 2008. The Scottish Government’s response was set out in a news release issued in my name the same day, and in the First Minister’s reply to S3F-1197 on Thursday 20 November 2008.

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-08/sor1120-02.htm#Col12616.

Parkinson's Disease

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-14772 and S3W-14773 by Shona Robison on 15 July 2008, whether it accepts the Parkinson’s Disease Society’s estimate of around 10,000 people with Parkinson’s disease in Scotland, based on estimates derived from the results of published prevalence studies undertaken in the United Kingdom.

Shona Robison: We are advised on these issues by the Information Services Division (ISD) of NHS National Services Scotland. We are pleased that ISD and the Parkinson’s Disease Society have reached agreement on a figure of around 10,000 people in Scotland with Parkinson’s.

People with Disabilities

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to evaluate access to justice for disabled people including the operation of the Appropriate Adult Scheme and the effectiveness of the Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2004.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government is committed to securing equal access to justice for disabled people. Through the multi-agency Justice Disability Steering Group we are working with key partners to ensure more effective engagement with disabled people. As part of this work the group is planning an event to be held next year that will involve disabled people in identifying how to improve the operation of the justice system in ways that promote better access and tackle discrimination.

  We are supporting the Scottish Appropriate Adults Network in raising awareness and promoting consistency in the delivery of the Appropriate Adult Scheme across the country to better meet the needs of disabled people. We will also continue to facilitate the work of the multi-agency Witness Issues Group in monitoring, reporting and evaluating the impact of the Vulnerable Witness (Scotland) Act 2004 especially with regard to providing improved opportunities for all vulnerable witnesses, including disabled people, to give their best evidence.

Poverty

Bob Doris (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to launch its response to Taking Forward The Government Economic Strategy: A Discussion Paper on Tackling Poverty, Inequality and Deprivation in Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon: I will launch the Scottish Government’s framework to tackle poverty and income inequality in Scotland - "Achieving Our Potential" - later today. A central element of the Framework is high level agreement between the Scottish Government and COSLA on priorities for action and investment to support those currently experiencing poverty, tackle income inequalities and address the long-term drivers of the poverty which has blighted Scotland for generations.

Prison Service

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether consideration will be given to transferring medical and nursing services supporting those in police custody to the NHS, in light of the decision to transfer medical and nursing services in the Scottish Prison Service to the NHS.

Nicola Sturgeon: Individual police forces are responsible for health care and forensic services in police custody. The delivery of improved healthcare and forensic services through partnership working between the police force, health board and the university is being explored through a three year pilot in Tayside which will begin in January 2009, supported by the Scottish Government. The results of that pilot will inform future consideration of these issues.

Schools

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the implementation of the Administration of Medicines in Schools guidance.

Nicola Sturgeon: Full assessment of the implementation of the Administration of Medicines in Schools Guidance was last carried out in 2004. Whilst the Scottish Government takes the issue of child health and welfare extremely seriously, statutory responsibility for the Administration of Medicine in Schools lies with NHS boards, supported by local education authorities. We understand that with the exception of one area of Lanarkshire, joint agreements between all other NHS boards and education authorities covering the arrangements for the administration of medicines are in place. I have asked my officials to liaise with Lanarkshire NHS board to ensure that this matter is addressed quickly, for the benefit of all children in schools with health care needs.

Schools

Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what more needs to be done to support the implementation of the Administration of Medicines in Schools guidance.

Nicola Sturgeon: The responsibility for the implementation of the Administration of Medicines in Schools guidance is a local issue for NHS boards to work with their education authority partners. There is no routine monitoring of the implementation of the guidance currently in place as previous surveys carried out on NHS boards and education authorities showed the guidance to be working well in practice in most areas. We have no plans to carry out further monitoring at this time.

Sexual Offences

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations received funding under the previous administration’s Sexual Abuse Service Development fund and when the funding for each organisation ends.

Shona Robison: The organisations which received funding under the Sexual Abuse Service Development Fund are detailed on the Scottish Government website:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/care/VAUnit/CSAapplicants.

  Awards were made in December 2007 for a two year period.

Sport

Willie Coffey (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it assesses whether sports clubs provide equal opportunities for men’s and women’s participation.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring equal opportunities in sport for all. Support for sports clubs is primarily through the relevant governing body with whom sportscotland works closely to ensure that equitable procedures are in place through the adoption of an equity policy and support through the Equity Standard. Investment to governing bodies of sport is linked to the successful progression through the Equity Standard.

  Where facility investment in concerned, sportscotland promotes an "Open to All" clause in an applicants constitution.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Parliamentary Expenses

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will list, by position, staff who have their travelling expenses for their daily journey to the Parliament paid for them.

Mike Pringle: There are no staff of the Parliament who have their travelling expenses paid for daily journeys to the Parliament.

Parliamentary Staff

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many members of the same families are employed in the Parliament, excluding MSPs’ staff.

Mike Pringle: There is no formal requirement for staff of the Parliament to declare their personal family relationships. So this information is not held.

Parliamentary Staff

John Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it maintains a family relationship register for staff, similar to that maintained for MSPs.

Mike Pringle: No.